I didn't even pack my wetsuit to bring it with me this morning, no possibly way it was going to be a wetsuit swim. found out it was actually 28C in the river. It was like a bath! climbed down the steps and did a little swan dive thing into the river so didn't want to touch the bottom and swam out to the buoys to wait for the start. I met a really lovely girl from Canberra who'd flown over for the race. had a chat to her and then we were off, I had a really good start I somehow managed to find some space and just started swimming, thankfully the waves before had cleared alot of the jellys away but there were still a fair few delightfully big brown dinnerplate sized jellys to contend with. I even managed to use a couple as wierd paddles :)

I don't sight very often when I'm swimming as I just seem to have this ability to swim in a straight line. So I'd checked where we wereh eading and just swam, unforunately I managed once again to get boxed in between two girls who had no idea where they were heading and decided that the line they were swimming was directly into me, over and over and over. grr, I kicked a bith arder and tried to pass them, manged after a bit of a effort to get around them. My goggles fogged up quite badly and we were staring directly into the sun to find the massive big buoys.

they were huge and yet I just could not see them at all. a couple of hundred metres from the buoy I stopped to clear the goggles as I just coudnl't see anything. I did just keep my head down and kept swimming as I had some pretty good drafts I could just follow feet!

rounded the buoys uneventfully and it was back to the start.
I'm a bit disappointed wit hthe swim time as I thought I'd had a good swim was expecting a better time when I crossed the timing mat, but a few people have since said they thought the swim was long.

Not swim in my pink outfit without a wetsuit ever again, its just a dragfest, luckily there weren't more jellies asx i'm sure I would have collected them down my top.

Swim faster

I had a bit of a daydream in transition wasn't really focussed, in fact I can't actually remember what I did and in what order. I know I found my bike really easily.
I know I made sure I wiped my face to get rid of the beard from the river! gross!

concentrate

Jumped on the bike and had set a goal of 30k/h ave for the bike. headed out with a tailwind and was flying along for the first half lap. I realised pretty quickly that the pink outfit is def not to be worn in a non wetsuit race, it was not quite tight enough gapes a little up the top. I have a feeling people coming towards me got a pretty good view of my sports bra and the girls oops. hope the cameras didn't catch any shots.

the first half of each lap was fantastic with the tail wind, I think I was sitting on about 40k's for each tailwind lap. at the turn around it was a different story and the wind made it harder to head back into. tried to keep my cadence up over 90 which I could do quite easily, just made sure I was spinning the legs when I had the headwind.

I quite enjoyed the bike, although I had a pounding headache (not sure why perhaps lack of sleep/dehydration) I had planned a gel at the halfway mark of the bike but unfortunately the gelbot failed me today! the nozzle and tube inside the bottle with the gel in it fell into the bottle crap no gels for me for the ride. and I probably didn't have enough powerade but tried to drink as often as I could. and used the water in the gelbot to spray on myself to keep a little cooler, could still taste the strong salt water from teh river right through the bike.



Really happy I actually kept my goal time!
Ride faster! figure out the gel problem drink more!

had a great transition threw the bike on the rack and pulled on the runners helmet off and cap on as I was r unning down the racks.

think about the elastic races again for shorter races.

I knew I was in for a long run before I even started running, I missed that gel on the bike and It was so hot I probably should ahve drunk a whole lot more. Anyway I headed out to start running, and it just got hotter and hotter, each aid station I was grabbing a cup of water to drink and a cup to throw overmyself.

I knew I wasn't running all that fast and was quite disappointed with myself but I just could not make my legs go any faster. that first lap was really really tough, the second lap was tough still the last lap seemed to be ok but incredibly hot but I thik I knew i was almost home on that last lap.

my legs were jelly like and I could see a few people who I wanted to beat gaining on me. I knew I couldn't hold them off.

have never been so glad to cross a finish line!

drink more on the bike, make sure I have a gel on the bike.
Run faster, I really want to try and run faster very disappointed with my run time. its the same as Bunbury race and I just wnated to run faster.

Warm down? so should have been cool down description today. crossed the finish line and headed straight for the drinks, only to find hot horrible tasting water, luckily one of my friends dashed over to the stadium tent and cme back with and icy cold bottle of water, it was heaven.
I really was overheated and didn't think I was ever going to be back to my normal temp. sure enough though I started cooling down gradually, but it was a damn hot day sweating for hours after the race watching the elites.

Headed to my club tent and had candles and cake for dads birthday. followed by watching the elite race. Wow I felt soo desperately sorry for them they started their race at 11! thats just wrong on a 37degree day esp for the two international girls one from canada one from sweden, I felt very sorry for them they both managed amazing efforts to podium 1st and second! I was cheering very loudly for Robbo! he had a great run the legendary Robbo surge! I so hope he makes the bejing team!


heat, lack of training, my running ability :(
I am actually quite disappointed, I really was hoping I'd be able to run faster then I did today. I think I must have had some weird expectations on myself and obviously think I'm better then I actually am.



I dont know if I'd do this event again, its incredibly expensive compared to the other races and for a lousy tshirt thts too big, and to swim in the skanky part of the river and for them to run out of water on the aid stations again! (thats inexcusable on a 37c day two people were carted off to hospital for overheating problems)

Its a great atmosphere but I think I might jsut watch next year. I'm just really glad I managed to actually complete this race after the last two years of sitting on the sidelines with injuries.

My dad wasn't too happy with himself he was racing to try and qualify for World champs in Canada, he was having a blinder of a race until he got done for drafting on the bike. He thinks he was unfairly done, no warning, no yellow card just a hand signal. unfortunately coming up to a turn he was caught in the middle of a group. which with that many people on the course happened all over the show.
which is fine if you are going to pull them up for drafting coming up to a corner then you need to ping all of them not just two people out of 8. He just got a hand signal waving at hime and wasn't sure what it was.

when he got to the sin bin no one knew about it, but the other guy that ignored the hand signal was later disqualifed.

anyway cut a long story shrot dad came 4th in his age group instead of 3rd meaning he will probably still qualify with triple points from the race but it wasn't an automatic place qualification. fingers crossed no t many people in his age group want to go to canada.